Business Employer Requirements

As an employer, you have labor, safety, and tax obligations. The information below is the labor, safety, access, and new hire reporting regulations administered by federal and state agencies.

Federal

Americans With Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides protection for people with disabilities in the areas of employment, public services and transportation, public accommodation, and telecommunications.

Equal Employment Requirements
Federal and state laws prohibit employment discrimination. The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Texas Workforce Commission, Civil Rights Division (TWCCRD) are charged with enforcing fair employment laws which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. Current statutes cover all employment transactions. All employers with 15 or more employees engaged in an industry affecting commerce, employment agencies, and labor unions are prohibited from denying equal employment opportunities. Regardless of the number of individuals employed, a county, municipality, and any state agency or instrumentality including public institutes of education, are also prohibited from denying equal employment opportunities. The TWCCRD will provide technical assistance and training to employers to facilitate compliance with laws prohibiting employment discrimination. The TWCCRD has jurisdiction for investigating equal employment opportunity complaints in Texas. The EEOC promotes voluntary programs that allow employers and organizations to implement equal employment opportunity programs within their businesses. For information regarding federal equal employment requirements, contact:

Workplace Safety
The Occupational Safety and Health Consultation (OSHCON) program is administered by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation. The program conducts free on-site safety and health consultations to help small, private sector employers understand and comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. The program is geared toward employers in high hazard industries with 250 or fewer employees per worksite and less than 500 employees nationwide.

State

Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements
For information and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act, state disability policy information, disability statistics, and local disability resources, contact:

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation reviews construction documents for the construction or substantial renovation, modification, or alteration of buildings or facilities defined as public or commercial accommodations for architectural barriers. This review is mandated through the Americans with Disabilities Act. For additional information on architectural barriers, contact:

Drug-Free Workplace
Advice is available to Texas employers with 15 or more employees who maintain workers' compensation coverage. Employers must comply with certain drug-free workplace requirements, and are also subject to federal regulations. These federal regulations include the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and U.S. Department of Transportation regulations requiring drug and alcohol testing. For information, contact:

New Hire Program
New Hire Reporting may be accomplished online. It is mandated by federal law under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, and requires employers to report new hires and rehires within 20 days.

Wage and Labor Requirements
The Texas Workforce Commission is charged with investigating and notifying appropriate county and/or district attorneys regarding all labor law violations. The Labor Law Department is charged with the enforcement of state and federal labor laws as well as the prosecution of offenders of these laws. State statutes include the Pay Day and Child Labor laws. For additional information, contact:

Standards for apprenticeship training programs in Texas follow guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training. Specific details on these programs may be obtained by contacting:

Workers' Compensation Insurance
In Texas, private employers can choose whether or not to carry workers’ compensation insurance coverage. Texas employers who carry and who do not carry workers’ compensation insurance coverage are required to comply with certain reporting and notification requirements under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act. Refer to the Texas Workers’ Compensation Employer Requirements/Resources webpage for more information.

Labor Poster Requirements
Certain federal and state labor posters are required to be posted at a place of business. The Texas Workforce Commission maintains current, comprehensive information about workplace poster requirements.